Death toll
by callmemavy
Summary: Set when Max and Chloe look Arcadia Bay hit by a tornado until they leave the city some days later. The storm is calming, but Chloe doesn't accept her mother's death and begs Max to jump back in time one last time and help those in need. What will be the final death toll? I'VE UPDATE A NEW DOCUMENT, NOW IT'S BETTER, BUT I STILL NEED A BETA READER, PLEASE CONTACT ME.


**I'm not a native English and translate this story has not been easy because of the many idioms and slangs not always translatable.**

 **I hope you can understand me, and I need a beta reader! Contect me, please! **

**After finishing Life is Strange several times and read many comments especially about the ending (which I consider poor compared to the rest of the fantastic game and too limited in only two choices that are almost totally unaffected by past choices) I wanted to share with you some gaps of the ending in which Arcadia Bay was sacrificed. That have led many to overestimate the possible number of victims, starting with the fact that, as seen on the final movie, the Two Whales Diner is not burnt as it would have been without Max's help, nor** **wiped out by the wind.**

 **To consider that using in the GPS coordinates of David I discovered that Arcadia Bay has a length of approximately 2.2 miles and** **and a width (the distance between Blackwell and the beach) is 1,2 miles. In addition, in the real-world the GPS coorinate indicate the sea near the city of Garibaldi and Bay City (Oregon) that are comparable in size af Arcadia Bay, so I think Arcadia has a population of about 800 to 1400 residents (and not over 10000 as many think) to which must be added the students, probably only two or three hundred.**

 **This story wants to plug the leak of days since Max and Chloe look Arcadia Bay hit by the tornado until they leave the city. In fact, as I read too often, those who have seen this ending thought that the two girls have left the city soon after the disaster, which is not credible because the street they cross by car should have blocked by debris at several points (as seen when Max looking for** **Warren** **during the storm) also in the city there is nobody, not even rescue personnel, impossible after a disaster of this kind.**

 **However I understand why the authors have created this ending in which we cannot knows who is saved or who dies, so those who prefer to sacrifice Chloe knows that has saved many more lives, and those who sacrificed the city can always hope that many people be saved.**

 **Last note, with this fiction I continue my game with the choices I've made. Different choices would not have changed deeply this story, if not a few speeches.**

 **In any case I would be happy to read your opinions and your theories about Life Is Strange, it would be nice to discuss not only mine, but also your ideas.**

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 **CHAPTER 1 - The last jump**

The cold rain soaked our hair and our clothes, as I held my head on Chloe's chest.

I wanted to feel her body warmth.

I wanted to feel her, alive.

With me.

AT ANY COSTS.

Meanwhile, the pink and blu haired girl helplessly watched the destruction of our hometown. She always said she hate Arcadia Bay, so much that she would like to drop a bomb on it, but now that she saw her wish come true I could see how much she had regretted for being so bitchy all these years with people who loved her.

Finally her mask of arrogance and rage against the world, that she worn during the past five years, suddenly shattered, showing the pain she carried inside.

She lowered her head, resting her chin on my head and closed her eyes, letting the warm tears flowed down her cheeks and blended with the cold rain.

Who knows if those tears was a vent for her repressed anger and sadness for her father's death, for the regret for all the people who were suffering and dying to let her live or for joy of having found a person who care about her so much.

Maybe she didn't feel alone and abandoned anymore, or at least I hope, because for me now nothing is more important and precious than she in my life, and I think she knows because I chose to sacrifice Arcadia Bay for her.

Yeah, I think I surprised her. I doubt she thought to be so important to anyone, not even to herself, who despite being so selfish, she was ready to sacrifice herself for the good of many.

The two girls stood motionless with their eyes closed not to see what was happening because of them, until they heard the storm roar decreasing.

Chloe opened her eyes for first. The winds were being slowed down by the hill on which there was the Blackwell Accademy and the tornado was losing power.

"Max..." Chloe whispered, her voice still trembling, breaking the silence between us.

I look at her for comfort after the mess I made, her eyes were red from the tears and she sobbed quietly.

Chloe stroked my head gently, to reassure me, "Come on, the worst is over, now we have to save my mother." Having said that she left me and ran down the path.

"Chloe! Wait me!" I shout, hoping to be heard, but she didn't slow down, so I had to chase her.

Chloe quickly reached her old pickup, but as I thought she had run more than her cold and tired body could afford. She was shaking so much that she couldn't even put the key in the lock. She punched the door twice in rage and then her legs collapsed. She tried to cling to her car, but the pain of cramps all over her body took away all her energy and her hands made no grip; so she could not help but hit hard on the muddy ground.

Fortunately I reached her immediately, "Chloe!" I exclaimed, worried, approaching her, "If you have a heart attack all my sacrifices will be in vain!"

Chloe giggled, "You're hella right. If I hadn't brought your fat ass up the hill, I wouldn't be so tired." She replied to tease me.

"Look, it's you who need a patient lift to get up from your bed in an alternate timeline!"

"Teuche." She said while I picked her up from under her arms and helped her to stand up, but instead of getting in her car, she lay down into the pickup cargo, "i'm feeling shattered like a hippo shit and I'm too upset to drive." Then she threw me the key. "I entrust my luxury car to you. I just had it repaired, so don't you dare scratch it!"

I smiled and got in her car and I tried to start the engine. It did so much noise, but didn't want to turn on. The starter motor worked, perhaps the engine was flooded, "Bad idea to had your car repaired by a junkie..." I said to Chloe.

She poked her head from the rear window, "How do you know my mechanic is a stoner?"

"In Frank's RV I found some notes written on paper with Auto Repair logo, the same as the repair estimate in your room." I said trying to start the engine again, unsuccessfully.

"You're Sherlock Max! Yes, it's true, my mechanic is a Frank's friend. I was hoping that with all the shit he buys from him he forget my debt, but he wanted my money before the work and I had to ask Frank a loan..."

Just she finished speaking the engine coughed louder but started, generating a dense black cloud from exhaust pipe.

"Now I know why fishermen complain that pollution has decreased fishes..." I commented playfully, getting a middle finger from the rear window in response.

"Don't waste time, my mother is still there. Run!" She ordered. I did as she said and we headed at full speed, fortunately, from the lighthouse, the Two Whales Diner is in the first block just arrived in town through the Oregon Coast Highway.

I gave a couple of hits to the back window to attract Chloe's attention, "Tell me, what did we do after autopilot-Max came into the scene?"

"Autopilot-Max? It gets the idea across perfectly... Anyway nothing important, I told you what you told me to tell you, you believed me right away. When the wind be stronger I tried to tell my mother that a freaking tornado was coming, but she was pissed off, saying I was stoned just at sunrise... Hope she's fine. "

"And nothing else?"

"You collapsed and slept the fuckin' whole time. It wasn't easy to wake you up when the storm became a fracking tornado."

"You're right, by rewinding so many times I'm awake for about thirty consecutive hours a day."

We rapidly approached Arcadia Bay, but in doing so we saw better what happened to the city after the hurricane's passing. I felt my heart beat in my throat, this disaster, that destruction... everything because of me.

The tornado was over, but the storm was still so strong that some strong wind gusts made me swerve. Although I heard the poor Chloe be slammed violently behind the cabin she didn't complain, I'm sure she had major concerns now.

I turned back to make sure she was all right.

Bad idea.

I heard a metallic bang in front of me and immediately I returned to watch the road.

Too late.

A large road sign was flying against me, quickly.

Panicked I swerve and avoided it by a whisker, but excessive speed added to old and neglected tires and wet asphalt don't give a good result. The pickup lost grip, it slipped sideways and overturned.

Luckily I had my seat belt on, otherwise rewind the time wouldn't save me. Unfortunately the truck was old and the two-point seat belt didn't kept my back on the seat. My head hit the steering wheels, hard, but despite the pain and dizzy I couldn't afford to distract myself.

They say when someone realizes he's going to die the world around him slow down for a second. Maybe it's true or maybe it's my power, I do not know, but this time the fraction of a second that elapses from when I raise my hand to when my power activates seemed to last an eternity; enough to see from the back window Chloe be catapulted out of the back of her pickup and crashing on the asphalt so violently that her body did movements I didn't believe possible even for a Chinese contortionist.

It wasn't enough to see that gruesome scene once, I had to relive it also while I rewound, making the incident even more horrible.

See my best friend die by a bullet in her stomach or in her head was not at all disturbing compared to what I had just seen.

Will I be able endure these horrible experiences, this death and these so difficult and unfair choices or I'll going crazy like Nathan? I hope Chloe will help me, only her can save me.

But it's better to focus on one problem at the time, for example the incident.

I brake slowly to avoid killing my friend with a head injury. She began to rant about why I slowed down, but she silenced when we were almost hit by that crazy road sign.

We arrived at the northern city border, there was too much debris on the street so I had to slow down. Chloe had finally resumed and stood up placing her hands on the car roof, what it was in front of her was worse than she expected.

Shortly after the street was blocked by debris and overturned vehicle and I was forced to stop the truck. Luckily Joyce's diner was just beyond it.

"Max... tearing that photo was not a good idea..." Chloe said, hesitant, but honest.

Maybe she was right, logically I would have to save Arcadia Bay, but I preferred to listen to my heart. I'll never know if this was the right choice or not, but I don't regret what I did, "I made my choice, and there is no way to go back, not anymore! For better or worse." I replied, while together climbed over the debris.

Then she looked at my face, puzzled, "You fight versus my Elvis bobblehead? You have a black eye and your nose is bleeding."

I rolled my eyes, I almost die, and as usual she teases me, "Bad idea rewind while I'm moving. The car slows down and goes back, but my body speed continues to push me forward. It's hella hurts!"

"I like when you talk like me." Chloe replied with a mischievous look.

And I like when she looks at me like that... but better say nothing.

The smell of burnt tire and gasoline was getting stronger, so much to irritate my throat with every breath.

We overcome the obstacle and saw the Two Whales Diner in flames. The smoke was constantly blown away by the wind, therefore we didn't see it from afar. I hoped for a little happy ending, but it seems nothing has changed from the previous timeline. Joice and others who I saved are now dead.

The only thing Chloe could do was crying in despair and then she began running toward the diner, seemed ready to jump in, but I couldn't allow her to do that. Why she's so impulsive? I had to chase her and jumping on her like a football player to stop her. Maybe Bigfoots had influenced me more than I imagined.

Both fell on the ground and she didn't even tried to get up and she seemed pleased I had prevented her to do a crazy thing. So we remained motionless, me over her with my arms around her waist. I felt the pain of scrapes I got on my elbows and knuckles by the impact with the ground, but I didn't care; the pain Chloe felt for her mother's death was nothing compared to my physical pain and I wanted to make her feel my love, while she was screaming and crying.

Meanwhile, the wind died down completely and the thick black clouds began to clear. Finally sunlight illuminated what was left of the city.

It was late morning, but until a few minutes ago I thought it was night. On second thought, at this time, in another timeline, I was in Los Angeles and there was midmorning. Time travel messing me worse than a jet lag...

The tornado had subsided and the dark was gone, but that didn't help our morale, we could now see even better our city disaster.

Chloe also calmed down so I left her and I stand up.

She sat with knees high, hugging her legs to her chest and rested her forehead on her knees.

I put my hand on her shoulder.

I hated to see her in this state and I would do my best to help her through this, but I didn't know what to do or say.

"Why?" She muttered in a voice broken by sobs, "Why she didn't listen to me?" And she paused a moment, "Why?!" She cried, raising her head.

"Chloe, we can't save everyone..." I knelt beside her, "I know it's hard to accept. It hurts me too. When I ran into the storm to retrieve the photo taken at the End Of The World Party, I saved people I found in trouble. I know who and how they died. I watched them in their eyes. I saved them and then I went back in time to save you, and so I left them to die. Unfortunately I can only travel in time, I can't be in two places at the same moment."

"I know Max, you do even too much. It's just I feel like a fucking burden for you. My mother... didn't deserve this and I was a so terrible daughter that she didn't trust in me."

"C-Chloe..." I wish I could say something better, but I've never been good with words. If now I have more friends than before it's just because I can rewind and say what people want to hear. I feel so useless without my power...

I don't know if I still have it, but I'll never use it again, risking of messing up the present, or worse, create another cataclysm.

Then I looked just beyond the Two Whales Diner, the police car and officer Anderson's corpse were not there, probably he and David was safe in the bunker? I can say I saved him...

"I wanted to at least apologize to my mother for my bitchy behavior. Instead of being at her side after my dad's death, I vented my anger on her, and I have done everything to be the worst daughter in the world. But she never left me." Chloe continued to thrash and I felt so helpless, but soon she calmed down, "I can't help anyone..." Then she looked up at me, "But you can..."

I raised my eyebrows, "No way, Chloe. I haven't recent photos to do the jump. The only one useful was in there." I said pointing to the diner on fire with a nod, "And I don't want to use an older photo. The more back in time I go, the more troubles happen in the present. We just have to accept what we have."

Chloe stood up, "M-maybe I could have a recent photo." She said, but I was not hopeful as her, "But please, promise me you don't get hella mad..." She continued, seeming embarrassed and she's not a girl who embarrasses easily. This made me worry even more...

"What do you mean?" I asked, looking into her eyes, even if she seemed to want to avoid my gaze.

"Just promise." She insisted.

"Okay, okay." I said, what could she have done? Some idiot joke, while I was sleeping? It seems strange, the first thing she would do would be teasing me at the first opportunity...

She took a Polaroid photo from her jeans pocket and handed it to me, turned upside down.

When I took it she turned, she didn't want to see my reaction... why? So I turned the photo.

There was me.

There was Chloe.

In a close-up.

She was over me on her bed.

"The camera flash too close to the subjects made the faces too white, almost cadaverous and the background too shady. Moreover, the person who is above is slightly blurred. Perhaps you could engage more using the expensive, and increasingly rare, Polaroid films." I said in a critical tone as if I were Prof. Jefferson, "But just these errors make it unique: the girl lying on an old bed with closed eyes, dark circles and pale skin looks like a corpse, and the one over her, with skin even more white and bright, blue hair and blurred just enough to have transparent outlines, looks like a ghost. As if an angel of death would give a last kiss to the soul she's taking away. Even the overshadowed background give its magic touch, contrasting and giving prominence to the two protagonists.

The beauty of this photo lies in it's spontaneity. Unconscious models are the most open and honest. No vanity or posing, just... pure expression."

"You're talking like a Blackwell photography professor. So you're not angry?" She said, turning to me.

"True, this is what Prof. Jefferson would have said about it, he also photographed me while I was unconscious. You kissed me while I slept and you taken a photo. Even within you there something twisted and perverse."

"W-what? You're comparing me to that mad murderess?!" Chloe snapped, taking my sweatshirt and pulling me face to face with her. She was really angry and I cannot blame her.

Our eyes were on each other and it was fun to see Chloe waiting to be answered, angry.

In this week my power and Chloe have matured me, giving me more confidence in myself and helped me get out of my chrysalis of introvercy, freeing me from the fear of saying or doing what I want.

I worry a bit to becoming a bad girl, but I've learned that life is just one and I have to enjoy it without fear of others' reactions.

I ran my hands on Chloe's back up to her head, with a hand I took off her wool hat letting it fall to the ground and then I weave my hands through her blue hair, "I want to take a souvenir from this timeline before jumping..."

She looked at me strangely, she was afraid of me? And then i just let myself go.

I closed my eyes, pulled her head to me and stood on tiptoe until our lips touched.

It was a long and intense kiss of true love.

As I imagined she made no effort to resist or try to push me away. In truth I knew what she really felt for me from the first time she challenged me to kiss her in her room and she tried in many ways to make me understand it.

I always pretended nothing, not to see, not to understand.

I always hid to myself that my feelings for her were increasing day by day.

I always ignored the desire to kiss those fearless lips, to caress that tattooed pale skin and weave those blue hair.

How could I not reciprocate her love before? I was just a stupid introverted coward.

I moved a hand from Chloe's head, I had her photo through my fingers and I watched it with narrowed eyes, without breaking the kiss.

I think Chloe had noticed that I was going to jump because she left her hands from my sweatshirt and hugged me tightly before everything around me became white and bright.

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 **Hope you liked my first chapter,** **I'd like to read your opinion is on that story but also about your theories and speculations.** **So write what you think with a reviews!**


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